The clouds gathered around the small town of Jasper Nevada, the people of the little place were settling in for the evening. The dry air blew across the streets as the storm continued to gather, making the residents go inside in fear of the tempest.

A young nurse stared blankly at her phone as she thought about calling her son. She sighed as she hung her head and gripped the table, the garage door was open, allowing the dry air to enter. She felt it move her hair a little and she closed her eyes as she tried to convince herself everything was alright.

She waited for a few minutes then picked up the phone, scrolled through it and pulled her sons contact up. She stared at the screen and sighed as she hit the call button. The ground beneath her shook and she shrieked in surprise as she stumbled. 

June rushed to the street and her eyes widened, she saw the giant beam of blue light hitting the ground a ways off. She dropped the phone as it rang and her hand went to her mouth as the wind picked up from the impact.

"Hey it's Jack. I can't answer, cause I'm out saving the world right now." She continued to stare at the eerie beam of light as car alarms went off.

The sound of people screaming started to fill the streets as the residents came out and realized what was going on. The nurse knew instantly that her son was in danger.

"Optimus, do you read?" Ratchet asked as he scanned his glitching computer screens, and tried desperately to get a hold of his team.

"An unknown energy spike in Earths atmosphere is crashing all my systems." He reported and continued to type frantically. He looked up at the screen and stared at it for a long time.

"Please tell me this is related to the activation of the Omega Lock." he muttered, silently hoping their home would be restored. This nightmare would be over, and their home would be rebuilt at last. He hoped to Primus that Optimus was able to get the device to function.

~

The energy from the Omega Lock continued to pour into the portal, and straight towards Earth, causing the planet to groan from the strain. It shook as the energy from a foreign planet slowly started to reform it. Causing it's organic matter to crumble and be destroyed, while Cybertronian matter took over like a plaque. The alien matter acting like a virus as it spread and rebuilt on the earths surface.

Megatron stared up at the Omega Lock as he felt calm and confident, power flowing through his energon. He had the upper hand, his enemy helpless before him, and he had all the control. He could do anything he wanted and there was nothing the Autobots could do. 

"Such raw power." Megatron smirked as he stared at the energy. He then looked to his captives and a wicked gleam filled his optics. "What shall I call my new domain? New Kaon? Or perhaps, gilded earth." The warlord sneered as he glanced between his enemy and the pathetic humans. Optimus' optics widened slightly and he silently glanced to the children as they yelled and protested.

"No!" Jack shouted and hit his fists against the glass, he couldn't do much but he had to try. He didn't know how to defeat the warlord nor did he know what to do.

"Leave our planet alone!" Miko screamed with rage as she hit the container and shook her head, they couldn't do this. It was their home.

The sound of wicked laughter filled the Prime's audios as the cons and their leader mocked them. Optimus narrowed his optics and clenched his servos tightly as anger filled his spark. This young planet didn't deserve this horror and terror. He glanced to the control panel then to Megatron again as he tightened his fist.

He transformed his servo into a blade and attacked one of the drones. He tossed another and hit Knockout with the drone, making him fall over and gaining the attention of the Decepticon leader.  Optimus rushed to the Star Sabre and grabbed it, he then grunted as he fought a few other drones who approached.

Megatron watched in slight surprise then yelled angrily as he unsheathed his own blade. He ran towards the Prime as he roared in anger, the Autobot leader blocked the blow that would have seriously injured him. As Megatron raised back his arm, Optimus brought down his own sword and cut off the warlords arm. He then continued running as Megatron tried to recover.

Optimus blocked the drones fire as he felt his own fire filling his spark. He wasn't going to let Megatron have this weapon, especially if he was going to destroy the small planet he had come to love. He couldn't let him ruin another planet he held close to his spark.

The Prime easily dodged Starscreams missile and jumped in the air. He landed on the seekers faceplate then jumped off and into the air again. He felt his spark breaking as he raised his sword, this was the only way to heal his planet. He let the pain fill him and come out in an angry roar as he came down and stabbed the console. An explosion erupted and destroyed the area. The wave shocked them back and made some of the drones fly in every direction. Causing everyone to become disoriented.

~

The beam stopped and June sighed in relief as she watched it, though she was worried about her son. He was still missing. Ratchet continued to type and glance at the screen, hoping the dang thing would start working. He paused and furrowed his optic ridges as he watched the screen clear up and everything seemed fine again. He sighed in relief for a moment then gripped the console in anxiety.

"Optimus, do you read?" he asked for what felt like the hundredth time, and he sounded a little irritated with the situation, whichever one it was.

He stared at the screen and stayed still as he waited for an answer. He heard some static as the com clicked but didn't get an answer right away. His spark skipped a beat as he waited for his friend to respond.

"Ratchet..." Optimus finally said, the doctor able to detect sadness and spark-break in his voice. He instantly knew his friend did something that brought him great pain. "Please, open a space bridge..." he muttered. The other bot could tell through his voice he was trying, and failing to hide his emotions. Ratchet didn't respond and immediately went to open the bridge as his leader asked.

The medic waited patiently, and impatiently for them to return as he stared at the portal in front of him. He glanced at the computer then at the vortex as the team started to come through. He furrowed his optic ridges as he saw the bots holding strange containers in their servos, cradling them as if they held something fragile. He blinked a couple times in surprise, as if his optics were deceiving him, he realized the humans were inside these glass containers.

"The children?" he asked in surprise and looked at them, as if it was their fault the children were there. "What happened?" he asked with a slight look of disgust and frustration. No one responded as they set the containers down. The medic felt as if they were intentionally ignoring him, which added to his frustration and mood.

"Somebody say something!" He snapped as he clenched his servos a little. His optics darted between all of them as his frustration turned to anger. He was regretting being confined to the base and missing out, for once.

Bulkhead stopped and barely glanced at the medic before staring at the floor. The room was silent as their leader slowly walked towards them, his spark heavy and full of grief.

"Optimus... destroyed the Omega Lock." The wrecker said and glanced at the medic briefly before looking at the floor again.

The Prime stopped walking and glanced at his team member before staring at the medic. Ratchet's optics widened as Bulkhead spoke, his faceplate held shock, disbelief and betrayal. 

"What?" he gasped as he tried to find the words he wished to use. His anger was growing as he glanced to his 'friend'. "You did-"

"What was necessary." Optimus interrupted as he glanced to Bulkhead then at the troubled medic. "There was no time for another prolonged battle." He explained and glanced to his team members in turn. "Not with earth in emanate danger." His optics landed on the doctor again and he could see how stressed his friend was.

"So you destroyed... the only device in any known universe... capable of restoring.... our... home?" Ratchet rasped as his voice broke with each word. He stepped back in shock and his faceplate was filled with many emotions, as if he couldn't decide on which emotion to focus on. Betrayal settled on his features for a few minutes as he tried to think again. His spark was breaking and plunging into despair. 

"Optimus..." he struggled to say through his broken spark and other emotions. "We needed that..." he whispered, choking a little as he tried to keep himself from losing it all, his optics filling with sadness and loss.

Everything they had worked for, fought for, was gone in an instant. He knew they would never get home and never restore their planet. All because his 'friend' thought it was for the best. All because he thought this planet was more important than their own.

"You weren't there Doc, and it's not your place to second guess a battlefield decision." Smokescreen glared as he pointed at him, unintentionally adding to the medics anger and testing his patience.

"It most certainly is!" Ratchet said as his voice raised with each word. He stepped towards him and clenched his servos tightly. "There had to be another way!" He yelled as he motioned to nothing in particular. 

"I-I-It wasn't that simple, Ratchet." Jack said, trying to help him understand the situation at hand, he furrowed his brow as he watched the bot, who's anger grew by the second.

"Megatron was using the Omega Lock to attack the Earth." Raf explained, also trying to help defuse the doctors fury before it became a problem.

"Optimus saved our planet." Miko defended the Autobot leader. She glared at the medic feeling as though he was being unreasonable.

"What about our planet?!" Ratchet roared as he glared back at the children. He turned to his team as he felt his anger boiling over. "All of our struggles, and energon spilled, and countless sacrifices... all of it for nothing?!" he shouted as he looked at each member of the team.

"Right decision or wrong, what's done is done." Arcee scolded as she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "We have another problem here on this world. The cons just changed the rules when they put Jack, Miko and Raf into play." She said seriously.

The computer interrupted them and they looked to it as Fowler got on and started talking. No one really understood what the agent was even talking about.

"To what do you refer, Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked as he stepped towards the computer and furrowed his optic ridges. The conversation he had with his team, mostly Ratchet, weighing heavily on his spark. He was disappointed and hurt about the events that took place on Cybertron and here in the base.

"Maybe you should step outside and see for yourselves." The man said as a look of concern crossed his face. 

"Ratchet." Optimus said with a tone they all knew too well. One that indicated he wasn't happy with the person, disappointed, and he wasn't done with them. "Watch the children." he said sternly. Ratchet didn't dare respond and kept his argument to himself, for now. The human children glanced at each other knowing things were bad between the two.

The Autobots got to the top of their base and stared at the massive building that was in plain view. They all knew this was bad and they glanced to their leader. Optimus stared at the tower and clenched his servos. The cons had built their base in Jasper Nevada, a small town they swore to protect. A town that didn't deserve what was about to happen. This planet didn't deserve this war that was brought to them.

Optimus didn't look away as Fowler spoke, nor did he look away as he answered. The Prime felt guilt in his spark as he realized what was about to happen. He knew it was useless, but he wouldn't stop fighting. His optics narrowed as Megatron positioned the Nemesis in front of the base. The con was mocking them and silently telling them they were defeated. 

"Because the Decepticons have discovered the location of our base." Optimus answered the mans question. He had listened to him but was focused on his enemy, planning on how they'd get out of this situation. They couldn't let him win.

As the cons took to the skies, the Primes spark fell. He couldn't stop them and he knew that Megatron knew that.

They fought as best they could but had to go back into the base. The bots didn't want to give up but they couldn't do anything to fight them. Agent Fowler fought the cons the best he could, and they were filled with hope as Wheeljack came along as well. Their sparks filled with hope as Ratchet spoke to the wrecker.

They looked to their leader as he stared at the screens, trying to decide on the best course of action. He walked off a little as he thought then straightened up.

"Ratchet, prepare to bridge everyone out of here." he said seriously as he furrowed his optic ridges. The team blinked in surprise and looked to him then the medic as he turned around, equally surprised.

"We're... abandoning the base?" He asked in disbelief. Some of the others held their vents, they hadn't forgotten his argument or outburst from earlier.

"The base is lost." The Prime said as he glanced at him from over his shoulder plate. He hadn't forgotten either. "Wheeljack and Agent Fowler can only buy us time to escape." he said and they could tell he wasn't happy about this. He then looked at them and started giving orders.

The team protested at first, but fell silent as he explained the situation. The team prepared to leave and Ratchet was silent for a few minutes. They heard the battle outside and on the computer, as Agent Fowler and Wheeljack tried desperately to fight the cons off.

Optimus stood by the portal and watched sadly as everyone left and said goodbye. He hoped to one day see them again. He stared blankly into the portal, the only two remaining were Ratchet and himself.

He could hear the failing battle outside the base and on the screen. The structure shook under his peds and he glanced to the small falling rocks. He stepped towards the vortex and stopped as the base shook again.

"What about you?" Ratchet asked as he turned to look at him. The Prime stared blankly at the portal while he debated, but knew what had to be done.

"I will insure that the Decepticons cannot follow." Optimus said seriously without looking at him. The doctor blinked in surprise and gasped quietly, wanting to protest. Or perhaps even apologize for earlier.

He closed his mouth and glanced to the portal without looking at him. He walked passed Optimus and went to the swirling green vortex. He stopped just in front of it as his thoughts swarmed him. He wanted to say something, anything. He wanted his leader, his friend, his brother to know that everything would be alright. But those words didn't come.

"I.... never imagined it would end like this." he said still not looking at him as he spoke. He quickly walked through the portal to get it over with, feeling bad for not giving him a chance to answer. He never heard the words the Prime said to him. Nor would he ever.

"Neither did I, Old Friend...." the last words their leader, friend, and sire ever said. But no one heard him.

The portal closed and Ratchet found himself alone. He stared blankly at the ground and silently wished things had been different. He never imagined that their last, actual conversation, would be an argument. The things you say to those you care about, could be the last. Whether it be good or bad.

They had no idea what was about to happen to them. What changes and unexpected traumas were about to inflict the people. The things they'd end up going through, and having to endure.